In the final round of the National Football League's World Qualifying Asian Zone 40 matches, the tournament originally scheduled to be played in Gusau was suddenly transferred to Dubai, and the Chinese Football Association (CFA) urgently announced that the first phase of the Chinese Super League (CSL) season, which was originally scheduled to resume in late June, is feared to be postponed due to the quarantine policy on entry into the country after the return of the 40-team tournament.
When will the new Chinese Super League season restart? According to inside sources, the delay could be as long as a month, meaning the sixth round of fixtures may not open until late July.
For Shanghai Seaports, the team's Austrian center Arnautovic is expected to be minimally affected by his participation in the European Championships.
If the second half of the first phase of the Chinese Super League kicks off in late June as originally planned, Arnautovic will miss at least three rounds of matches, and if the Austrians make it out of their group, he may not even be able to participate in the two key matches against Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua at Shanghai Harbor.
However, with the latest change in the situation, Arnautovic, who is expected to return to the team in the first half of July, will miss at most only one round of the Chinese Super League after completing the isolation procedure. Moreover, he will have plenty of time to get in shape for the two most crucial matches in the first phase of the league - the Beijing-Shanghai clash and the Shanghai derby.
The impact of Arnautovic's absence from the Chinese Super League has been drastically reduced, and the likelihood of him leaving the harbour this summer is diminishing.
Although the Italian media had speculated about Serie A side Bologna's strong pursuit of Arnautovic, his agent, Daniel, who is also his blood brother, has recently denied rumors of an agreement between the two sides in an interview with the Austrian media.
Arnautovic's contract with Shanghai Seaport is set to expire at the end of next year, so the club still has the final say on the player's stay.
With Arnautovic available for most of the Chinese Super League campaign, retaining the team's core winger is undoubtedly the best option for head coach Leko and Shanghai Seaport FC.
